Try being 35 or 40 years old, and away from a college campus almost as long as the true freshman has been born.

These reentry students need orientation too, and they got it Jan. 6 in the Griffin Gate at a semi-annual event hosted by the Adult Reentry Center.

“Remain in the present, learn from the past, plan for the future, and have a purpose,” Grossmont’s Nancy Davis told the group of about 30 prospective adult students.

Davis and Sylvia Montejano moved about the room with portable microphones, turning the room into a reality talk show with participants invited to react spontaneously to key questions.

“The first step to go back to college was the hardest and the first class was hard,” said one participant, “but now I look at every hurdle as a challenge.”

“Since I am back in college,” said another participant, “it is my choice where I want to go, rather than having my future dictated by the labor market, because I am gaining many marketable skills.”

Also available to the participants were college catalogs, class schedules, and brochures from various campus educational programs.